Madison, Wisconsin

1970Sterling Hall Bombing: Anti-Vietnam War radicals detonated a bomb at the Army Math Research Center at UW-Madison, killing a researcher. It was one of the most dramatic acts of domestic terrorism during the Vietnam era.

1848Wisconsin Statehood: Wisconsin became the 30th state with Madison as its capital, chosen for its location on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona.

2011Act 10 Protests: Over 100,000 people occupied the State Capitol to protest Governor Scott Walker's bill limiting collective bargaining rights, in the largest sustained protest in Wisconsin history.

1900La Follette Progressivism: Robert La Follette launched the Wisconsin Idea from Madison — the progressive philosophy that university research should serve the public good — influencing government reform nationwide.

1848University of Wisconsin Founded: The University of Wisconsin was established in Madison, growing into one of the top public research universities in the world.

1836Madison Founded: James Doty chose the isthmus between two lakes as Wisconsin's territorial capital, naming it after President James Madison.

1960Antiwar Movement Hub: UW-Madison became one of the most active centers of antiwar protest in America, with massive demonstrations against the Vietnam War.

1990Tech Corridor Emerges: Epic Systems, a major healthcare software company, established its campus near Madison, anchoring a growing tech corridor.

2020Protests After Jacob Blake Shooting: Protests erupted in Madison following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in nearby Kenosha, with demonstrators targeting the State Capitol.

1856Republican Party Birthplace Claim: Ripon, Wisconsin, near Madison, is one of the claimed birthplaces of the Republican Party, founded in 1854 to oppose slavery.